Disability & Depression in Adults

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that adult depression is the leading cause of disability in adults under age 45. Depression is a serious mental illness and at any given time affects the lives of more than 15 million Americans. Adults suffering from depression often face huge difficulties and hardships in their daily lives.

Causes

• There is no one cause for adult depression. Rather, it is a complex array of biological and social factors. Stressful events, such as moving or losing a loved one, can cause depression. But not everyone who experiences traumatic events will become depressed, and many people become depressed without undergoing trauma. Though the exact reasons are mystifying, it's clear depression results from a combination of genetic and social factors.

Work

• When someone is depressed, their work almost always suffers. Employees with adult depression can be besieged by negative thoughts, they may have difficulty concentrating or they may wake up in the morning and not have the will to get out of bed. A common misconception is that people with this mental illness are simply lazy. That is not the case at all. Depression, just like a physical disability, can render you unable to work.

Society

• Adults with depression can become very isolated. People with mental illness tend to withdraw from others and have a very weak social network. Many are very lonely. Like people with other disabilities, it is common for people with depression to turn to family for comfort and support. Men suffering from depression seem to have more trouble than most finding a girlfriend or getting married. Some live with their parents long into middle-age.

Government

• The U.S. government recognizes adult depression and other mental illnesses as serious disabilities. If you have a documented case of depression, you can apply for Supplemental Security Income, or SSI. If your depression is severe enough, you usually will be accepted.

Treatment

• Adult depression is commonly treated with antidepressants. Antidepressants are a class of pills, usually prescribed by a psychiatrist or physician, that attempt to change the chemical make-up of the brain. They are often effective, especially in people who are experiencing their first depressive episode, and have no previous history of mental illness. Adults who suffer from severe depression, however, often do not experience full recovery with medication. Their symptoms may dim somewhat, but all too often sadness, negative thought patterns and other difficulties and disabilities remain.